Saudi desalination capacity to hit 200,000 cu m

Riyadh, March 26, 2012

The water desalination capacity in Saudi Arabia will peak at 200,000 cu m by 2015 as the kingdom rushes to meet the soaring demand, said an expert ahead of a major industry event in Riyadh.

'Saudi has emerged as world’s largest desalination market and is seen a priority area for global water and wastewater technology developers and service providers,' said Khaled Daou, the project manager of Saudi Energy at Riyadh Exhibitions Company, organisers of 'Saudi Water Tech 2012 – the 10th international exhibition for water technology, desalination plants and accessories.

The event is being held as part of the 15th Saudi Energy fair, the latest edition of one of the largest and most specialized energy exhibitions in the region, from May 7 to 10 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The expo aims to unveil the latest and best solutions from leading international brands to support the Kingdom’s efforts to produce and conserve water for residential and industrial purposes, said Daou.

According to him, Saudi Water Tech 2012 will provide an ideal platform for decision makers, developers, project practitioners and experts to come together and help shape the Kingdom’s water agenda.

'Saudi's average water consumption per capita is at around 250 litres a day, making it one of the world’s heaviest water users – next only to the US and Canada in per capita terms, revealed Daou, citing the Saudi Ministry of Water and Electricity reports.

The government is thus building up more financing for major water projects. State-owned National Water Company has already announced that it will fund $66 billion worth of water and wastewater developments through 2020, he added.